Chinatown celebrates 41st August Moon Festival

On August 15th, trying not to step on someone else’s toes required quite a balancing act in Chinatown, for the overflowing 5,000 people that turned up at the August Moon Festival occupied very ounce of Harrison, Hudson, Tyler and Beach Streets.

This year’s celebration was organized by Chinatown Main Streets, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England (CCBA) and the Chinatown Business Association, and was co-sponsored by the following:Tufts Medical Center, South Cove Community Health Center, State Street, City of Boston, State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Mohegan Sun, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston and East West Bank.

The opening ceremony in the morning was nothing short of festive, as lion dance troupes, martial artists, folk dancers and traditional Chinese music groups showcased their talents on and off the stage. Leaders of Chinatown took turns to extend greetings to the community and beyond.

n his opening remark, Winkay Leung, the President of CCBA, said August 15th noted CCBA’s 87th anniversary. Founded in 1923, CCBA is an organization that seeks to serve overseas Chinese groups and promote Chinese culture.
Brian Moy, the President of the Chinatown Business Association, greeted the crowds in Cantonese and Mandarin and English. Meanwhile, Tony Yee, the President of Chinatown Main Streets, along with Dennis Lui of CCBA, acted as the event’s emcees.

The August Moon Festival, which celebrates the end of harvest season, began in Boston Chinatown 41 years ago, after Bill and Frank Chin’s relentless efforts in seeking partnership with the City had finally paid off.

Director-General Anne Hung of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston (TECO-Boston) and Jack C. Huang, the Director of TECO’s Culture Center, also sent greetings to the crowds during the opening ceremony.

One of the highlights about this annual festival is the wide array of merchandise available. This year, shoppers could find vendors selling anything from Chinese-language DVDs to turtles and stringed instruments. Of course, freshly made Chinese cuisine was a hit among visitors.

Various non-profit organizations and religious groups participated in this year’s event. Tufts Medical Center offered a free blood pressure screening booth; Harvard Medical students offered free hepatitis B testing.

Members of the Asian American Civic Association (AACA) youth council passed out program fliers at the event.

Elected officials and political candidates saw the Festival as the perfect opportunity to meet their constituents and voters. The line-up included Boston Councilor John R. Connolly, State Representative candidate Tackey Chan, State Senate candidate Hassan Williams, State Treasurer candidate Steve Grossman and State Auditor candidate Suzanne Bump. Governor Deval Patrick, who is running for re-election, also paid a visit to Chinatown in the afternoon. His appearance caused quite a stir; many excited individuals approached him for group photos, a request to which the Governor gladly met. The Governor also purchased items from the vendors.

Along Beach Street, Chinese calligraphy artists spread brushes, ink, white rice paper and ink stone across their tables, ready to paint Chinese characters on demand. Every component of this ancient Chinese art form- brushwork, character construction, application of ink and composition- captivated many curious bystanders. On the opposite end of the street, many were engrossed in matches of Chinese Chess.